


Fever Brain

by ChampionFlyer



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Adam is a Dad Too, Adam is a Nurse, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fever, Flu, Headaches & Migraines, Lance is their son, M/M, Not related to Starting Fresh, Sick Lance (Voltron), Space Dad Shiro (Voltron), The second chapter hits hard, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-15
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2020-06-29 05:23:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19823434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChampionFlyer/pseuds/ChampionFlyer
Summary: Lance knew he was sick from the moment he woke up.There was no doubting it when he awoke to a sweat-drenched shirt and shaky limbs. His head was pounding and there was a slight churn in his stomach that intensified when he moved. His eyes blurred with every passing second, sending everything into distortion.Yet here he was, laying on one of the uncomfortable makeshift cots in the nurse’s office waiting for Shiro to pick him up.





	1. The One Where Lance Shows Up to School With the Flu

**Author's Note:**

> Okay...
> 
> SO I know what your thinking. 
> 
> CHAMP! YOU WENT MIA FOR LIKE TWO MONTHS YOU BITCH LEFT US HANGING! 
> 
> Yeah, I know. But I'm back and ready to get back on the usual writing schedule. I'll explain my absence in the notes at the bottom of the page.

Lance knew he was sick from the moment he woke up. 

There was no doubting it when he awoke to a sweat-drenched shirt and shaky limbs. His head was pounding and there was a slight churn in his stomach that intensified when he moved. His eyes blurred with every passing second, sending everything into distortion. 

Yet here he was, laying on one of the uncomfortable makeshift cots in the nurse’s office waiting for Shiro to pick him up. 

According to Hunk, his lab buddy and best friend of a lifetime, he had passed out during a science test this morning and was pretty out of it when he finally came to. Hunk had to help get him to the nurse’s office so he didn’t stumble and fall flat on his face. It’s safe to say not even Hunk could have prevented Lance from falling against the cold tiles of the seventh-grade hallway. 

When Hunk had finally managed to get him to the nurse, Lance collapsed on the closest article of furniture there was. His breath was labored and every few minutes he would cough harshly into the crook of his elbow while the nurse performed the basic task of checking Lance’s temperature. When she finally got a reading on the fever she shooed him off to the room where he could lay down. 

Hunk left shortly after that, promising to return with Lance’s backpack. 

Lance could hear the distant chatter between the nurse and presumably Shiro on the other line of the phone. His clouded head made it difficult to pick up on certain parts of their conversation and he eventually gave up on eavesdropping. He curled in on himself, trying to stop the freezing cold from biting at his skin. 

He didn’t even notice his eyes drooping closed until they shot open to the sound of the young nurse whispering his name. 

Again, Lance heard bits and pieces of what she was trying to say. 

“-on his way-”

“-stuck in traffic-” 

“-you cold?”

The word cold made him shiver once more. He closed his eyes and nodded, hoping for a distraction of some sort. Lance tried to think of one of the jokes Shiro had made during breakfast or the disapproving look Adam gave him afterward. While he forced his mind to wander, he heard some rustling in the drawer across the room and eventually felt a thin blanket being draped over his lanky body. Silently, the nurse placed a bucket next to the bed and dimmed the lights in the room before stepping out to tend to a needy sixth grader. 

Time dragged on as Lance fell into a restless sleep. 

Actually, he wouldn’t so much as call it  _ sleep _ , rather it was forcing his eyes shut in order to block out the excessive light. He  _ almost  _ fell asleep but was shaken awake by a familiar figure looming over the cot. 

“Hey, kiddo,” Shiro whispered comfortingly. “Time to go home and get you to bed. That fever has me a little worried.”

Lance groaned and slowly sat up, noticing how his limbs protested as he was guided up from the bed. He leaned into Shiro for comfort and steadiness as the room spun. He was debating whether or not he was ready for the long walk to the school parking lot as Shiro guided him towards the main section of the nurse’s office. 

The nurse was clicking around her laptop, momentarily pausing her game of  _ Solitaire  _ to hand Shiro the sign-out sheet. Her eyes flicked over to where Lance was wavering, desperately clinging to the wall for stability. “Those look like flu symptoms to me,” She said to Shiro, who looked over his shoulder at his sick son. 

“Yeah, a friend of mine said her son had it last week,” Shiro said, barely managing to keep his worry at bay. “My uh  _ roommate  _ is a nurse. He should be able to help me out if I need it.”

Lance snorted despite how terrible he felt. 

Shiro always referred to Adam as his  _ “roommate”  _ when he didn’t feel comfortable telling people he was his husband. Lance always got a kick out of it. Although everyone pretty much knew he had two dads, he could never understand why Shiro still thought it was a big deal. 

Shiro finished signing Lance out and grabbed the boy’s backpack before leading him out to the parking lot. 

It wasn’t a difficult task but it wasn’t entirely easy either. Between Lance stumbling over his feet and constant stopping to make sure he wasn’t going to pass out, the trip to the car took about ten minutes. When Shiro finally managed to get Lance  _ to  _ the car, he wanted to make sure Lance could get  _ in  _ the car. 

Lance nearly fell face-first into the cool leather seat but Shiro managed to catch him. Shiro eased him down into the front seat despite the teen’s whining. “I’m going to grab you a blanket from the trunk. Do you think you’ll need anything else?”

Lance stared at his hands, which were folded in his lap, and shook his head no. 

Shiro closed the door to the passenger’s side of the car before retreating to the trunk to grab the blanket. It was worrying how quiet Lance was at the moment. Shiro never in his life thought Lance would shut up. Of course, he had never said that directly to his face, but it was implied. 

He loved him nonetheless. 

Shiro grabbed the fleece blanket and shut the trunk with a gentle slam. He made his way over to the driver’s side of the car where he climbed in, hoping Lance was either asleep or resting somewhat comfortably. 

Lance, sure enough, was settled into the seat, his head propped up against the window. 

Shiro chuckled as he tucked the blanket around his son and started towards home. He drove slow and avoided potholes just to make sure Lance wouldn’t wake up. He avoided any sudden jerks or movements of his car as well. He didn’t want Lance to end up with a queasy stomach. 

The slow drive back to their house was excruciating but they made it back with no further accidents. 

Lance was still asleep by the time Shiro had pulled into the driveway next to Adam’s car and, quite frankly, Shiro didn’t have the heart to wake him up. Especially not when he looked slightly worse than when they had left the school. 

His face had taken on an ashen tone, almost as if all the color had just been drained from his face. Beads of sweat dripped down his temple and collected in the seem of his neck. His cheeks, despite his colorless appearance, were tinted pink with a fever and showed no signs of going down. Of course, Shiro couldn’t be sure of that without a thermometer but by the looks of it, Lance was pretty much in for it. 

Unfortunately, Shiro had to get Lance awake and out of the car seeing as though he couldn’t stay in there while he was sick. 

Shiro turned the car off and gently shook the sleeping thirteen-year-old awake. “Hey bud, we’re home.”

Lance groaned but reluctantly sat up slowly. 

“That’s it, easy does it,” Shiro encouraged as he helped Lance sit up before he climbed out and over to Lance’s door to help him out. Lance leaned into him as Shiro led him into the house. Shiro really just needed to get this kid to bed. He was way too exhausted to be up and about. He still had groceries and Lance’s school stuff in his car. But he needed Adam to get Lance situated while he took care of the other tasks at hand. 

Shiro guided the sick kid over to the couch where Lance completely crumbled into a ball on the soft fabric of the sofa. 

“You’re back earlier than I expe-,” Adam started but was cut off by Lance’s latest coughing fit. “Oh my god- Shiro I thought you said he just had a cold!”

Shiro rubbed Lance’s back as the poor kid finished hacking up his lungs. “I know, I know. But the nurse said once I had gotten there that his symptoms seemed more flu-like than anything. Maybe he’s got the flu.”

“He  _ definitely  _ has the flu,” Adam assured. He calmly walked over and crouched down beside the sofa next to his husband and his son. “What’s up, honey? Not feelin’ great?”

Lance nodded, stifling another cough. Although he liked it when his dads would use the soothing nature of pet names, he couldn’t quite feel any better at the moment. 

“Can you talk to me for a sec? Just tell me what’s bugging you,” Adam said as Shiro carded through Lance’s sweaty strands of hair. “Is something hurting or do you just feel kind of icky?” 

Lance made a sound with his throat that sounded like a pained moan mixed with a deflating car tire. “My head-d, my s-stomach... m-my throat,” He recited quietly. “M’kinda dizzy too. M-mouth feels…  _ saliva-ee _ .” 

Shiro listened and watched as Adam talked to Lance, wondering when it would be a good move to go out and get the stuff from the car. His mind immediately went to the melting ice cream and Lance’s gym bag that now sat basking in the heat of his car. 

“I’ll bet that’s nausea bud. You’ll feel better once you’re in your own bed,” Adam assured, picking himself up before encouraging Lance to do the same. 

Shiro stood once Lance was unsteadily making his way to his bedroom with Adam’s help. He figured while Adam got Lance settled he could at least unpack the groceries and make some soup. It felt like a soup day anyway. Not just with Lance being sick and soup being the stereotypical sick-day food but it just sounded good at the moment. 

Shiro made himself busy over the course of a half-hour, packing unspeakable amounts of food into the pantries and stirring the  _ Campbell's  _ chicken noodle broth to perfection. He tried to block out the heart-wrenching coughing coming from Lance’s bedroom. It wasn’t difficult until he ran out of groceries to put away. And when the soup was finally done, there were no more distractions. 

Just the sudden mass of worry and anxiety that came along with having a sick child. 

He poured the soup into three bowls and took one back down the hallway to Lance’s bedroom. Even as he approached the door, Shiro could hear small whines and Adam’s words of comfort from behind the thin wooden door. 

With a turn of a knob, Shiro pushed his way through the door. “Hey… I made soup,” he whispered, watching Lance’s face as it contorted into one of displeasure. 

“Come on bud. Maybe eating a little will make you feel better.”

Lance groaned again, burying his head deeper into the pillow. “Nghhh… please d-dont make me eat right now.” 

Adam sighed and looked over at Shiro, who was staring at Lance with worry etched in his expression. As a nurse, Adam knew people really should be eating when they have the flu, even if they don’t have the appetite. It helps keep them nourished and will allow them to recover faster. 

But judging by Lance’s pale, sweaty features, he figured that it isn’t worth the risk.

“Okay, alright. No food for now,” Adam said. “Just get some rest. I’ll come back and check on you in a little while.”

Lance nodded, seeming somewhat content with the idea of sleep. 

Shiro stepped aside as Adam left the room before he turned back to the sick, sleepy teenager. “If you need anything, just come get one of us. We’ll just be in the living room. Or better yet, just yell. Get some sleep kiddo.”

Shiro could tell Lance was already asleep by the time he was finished talking. 

He gently closed the wooden door to Lance’s room and made his way back towards the living room, where he had promised Lance he’d stay. 


	2. The One Where Shiro Steals Adam's Shit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance has a tough time being sick. 
> 
> But his dads help him through it. 
> 
> (Featuring ShiroTheFuckingTheif

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoop Whoop BItCh!
> 
> TW: Vomit and Theft (not serious theft)

Lance had stayed asleep for the better part of the evening. 

Adam woke him up periodically to check his temperature, give him fever reducers, and make him drink fluids. Shiro had poked his head in now and then just to assure himself Lance was still breathing. Truthfully, Shiro was always more concerned about a sickness when a fever was involved. He could handle the stomach viruses and common colds that came along with raising a child, but fevers scare him. 

The thought of Lance’s body trying to cook him alive was enough to successfully scare the shit out of Shiro. 

By the time dinner had passed, Adam and Shiro had settled down in the living room. They could be easily found in case Lance needed them. The living room was just down the hall from Lance’s room. Plus they both know how much Lance likes to be around the two of them when he’s not feeling great. 

“Should we check his fever again?”

Adam sighed. “We checked his fever a half-hour ago, Takashi.”

“I know... I know, but you know how I am with fevers. I don’t want it getting higher.”

“It’s been going down, 100.3 last I checked. I think if we keep giving him fluids and Asprain, his fever should break by tomorrow morning.” 

The sun dipped down below the horizon as nighttime attire and adult beverages passed through the living room. 

It took Adam at least several minutes to convince Shiro that Lance would be fine if they fell asleep, seeing as they both had a long day. They both agreed that they would stay in the living room, for Lance’s sake, and that they would  _ not  _ drink an entire bottle of wine tonight. At least while Lance was sick. 

They took to their prime cuddle position, Adam rested perfectly in Shiro’s arms while leaning against the arm of the couch, and flipped through the channels looking for something to watch. They quietly talked about why they hadn’t just bought  _ Netflix  _ when they moved in and kissed when the conversation died. 

Adam broke away first, his cheeks flush from the intensity of the kiss and clearly out of breath. “Stupid wine. Why does it only take like one glass to get tipsy anymore?” 

“‘Cause when we took a vow to become parents, the world took away our ability to enjoy alcohol and gave us gray hair instead,” Shiro snickered, his husband giving him the glare of a lifetime. Instead of coming back with a range of offensive comments, Adam sat up and snatched the bottle of wine from the coffee table. Seconds later, he had the cap off and was drinking away eight bucks worth of wine. 

“Shit! Adam, babe!” Shiro stammered as he lurched from his seat to pull the bottle of wine away from his husband. “Come on, we have to put this away or else we won’t have any left for next Friday.”

Adam gave him a puzzled look. “What’s going on next Friday- oh wait!” 

Shiro laughed at Adam’s oblivious state and quickly returned the bottle to the cabinet above the stove. “How about water for the rest of the night?” Shiro asked, returning to the couch with two cups of water. Adam reluctantly took the glass and sipped on the icy drink. 

“I hate it when you’re right…”

“Maybe you should just stop being wrong all the time.”

“Takashi, do you want to be sleeping on this couch tonight?!”

Shiro held back his comment, about to state that they were  _ both  _ sleeping on the couch tonight. He wrapped his arms around Adam’s waist, resting his head on his sagged shoulder. Shiro didn’t feel quite as anxious as he was earlier, having most of his worries soothed by Adam and alcohol. He closed his eyes and listened to the static of the TV box and the crickets chirping. He could hear Adam’s heartbeat and the stumbling noise in the hallway. 

Shiro picked his head up, eyes trained on the dark hallway. 

Adam seemed to take the hint too, both of them sharing a quick glance at each other. They both knew who was making such a ruckus and why. 

The two looked over at the hallway to see Lance come to a slow stop in the doorway. 

He looked miserable. His face was pale and sweaty, only the slightest remains of a fever still bushed upon his cheeks. He was shaking, probably feeling a lot colder due to the fever, and there was a residue of some sort on his chin. 

“Shirooo,” Lance whimpered, his body now relying on the wall for upright support. 

Shiro immediately stood to his feet and made his way towards the sick teen wavering against the wall. “Hey kiddo, what’s up? How do you feel right now?”

Lance didn’t respond right away. He just let Shiro guide him over next to Adam, where he sat down into Adam’s side. Shiro thought he seemed disconnected to the conversation like he wasn't quite tuned in. His arms were settled over his stomach while Adam massaged his back. 

“Lance, bud, what happened? You didn’t have to get up, we could have come to you or-”

“I threw up,” Lance interrupted, his voice raspy. “All over the place.”

Adam didn’t look too surprised. As a nurse, he sees a lot of vomiting in patients with the flu. Sure, it was kinda a pain in the ass to clean up but other than that it wasn’t all that bad. He was used to it. Shiro lost his sense of smell in an accident five years ago so he’s pretty much up to the task of cleaning it up. It didn’t bother him either. 

Shiro knelt down in front of Lance with a tissue in one hand before he began dabbing away what was presumably puke on the brunette’s chin. Suddenly he regretted his lack of comfort when he was the tears welled up in Lance’s ocean blue eyes. His heart broke.

“It’s okay, we’ll get it cleaned up in no time. You feel okay here on the couch or do you want to go sit in the bathroom?” Adam asked. 

Lance unexpectedly sobbed, forcing both parents further into the mother-hen mode. 

“Hey… it’s alright, don’t cry. What’s up? Do you feel sick again?” Shiro asked, taking another tissue from the coffee table and wiping away the free-falling tears. Lance just kept shaking and nodding his head as if he was confused by the questions. His sobbing was more or less just occasional whimpers and wet coughs. 

“Alright bud,” Adam whispered, planting a kiss atop Lance’s head and tucking him further under his arm. “Let’s just sit in the bathroom for a little while. That way you don’t have to worry about getting sick on the floor.”

Lance nodded but didn’t move until Adam helped him up. Slowly the two made their way into the hallway and disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Shiro to clean up the mess in Lance’s room. 

Adam got him settled on the floor, blankets under, around, and on top of the boy to keep him warm. He made Lance drink sips of water while he layed there with his head rested on Adam’s lap. The brunette shivered every now and then but for the most part, he was comfortably warm. Lance would drift in and out of consciousness, sitting up occasionally to spit up bile or take a drink of water. 

After about fifteen minutes of shivering and spitting, Shiro finished up his cleaning and joined the two in the bathroom. 

“How did he manage to throw up in his closet?” Shiro asked once he was sure Lance wasn’t listening. 

“In his closet?”

“Yeah, he wasn’t kidding when he said it was everywhere.”

Lance groaned, catching the attention of both his dads. He looked up with glassy, half-lidded eyes before flinging his body up to the rim of the toilet. 

“Shit! Okay, just breath. Better out then in, bud,” Shiro said, his hand flying up to keep Lance’s sweaty bangs out of his face as the boy’s body lurched. 

There was nothing left to bring up. Just bile and water. 

Although that didn’t stop Lance’s body from trying to expel  _ everything  _ from his system. 

It took about eight minutes of constant dry heaves, empty retching, and gagging for something to finally come up. Shiro didn’t even understand how he would have anything left after the various puddles of vomit he found in and around Lance’s room. They coached him through it until finally, his stomach settled and he practically fell back into Adam’s waiting arms. 

Lance wasn’t even sure if his tears were a result of the vomiting or if he was just overly emotional from the fever. Either way, he didn’t care. 

He just wanted to curl up with Shiro and Adam at his side and sleep off this flu. 

“Easy, honey. Deep breaths, in and out. Nice and slow,” Adam instructed softly, hoping Lance was coherent enough to understand. The cries died down but his tears were still dripping down his face. 

Lance heard the tap running and peeled his teary eyes open. He saw the blurry outline of Shiro dabbing away loose bile on his chin. He didn’t even realize he had been propped up against Adam’s chest until now. He felt a hand rubbing soft circles of his back and another combing through his sweaty hair. 

He felt at peace. 

Peace didn’t last for long. 

He hunched over, feeling another cough building up in his lungs. Weakly bringing his arm up, he coughed into his elbow, feeling nothing but a fire in his lungs. It was over as soon as it came but it left him feeling weak and relieved. 

The three of them sat there for two hours and with nothing coming back up from Lance’s stomach, they decided a camp out in the living room was in order. Shiro and Adam had intended to sleep out there anyway but they couldn’t just leave Lance alone after seeing how much discomfort he was in. 

“Did you fucking steal my slippers?” 

Shiro felt Lance weakly chuckle. The kid found himself settled on his side with his head upon Shiro’s thigh. It was definitely more comfortable than the bathroom floor. 

“Adam, sweetie, I did nothing of the sort.”

“You’re literally wearing them.”

“Maybe the dog got them.”

“We don’t even have a dog!” 

Lance was only half-listening to their conversation. His headache was dull but thumping. His stomach was okay for now. He was glad everything was out. His fever was down, according to Adam.

He felt okay but considerably gross. 

Adam stepped into the hallway, mumbling something about Shiro and his passion for stealing shit, leaving Lance and Shiro on the living room couch. 

“Aren’t you worried bout me thowin’ up on your pants?”

Shiro chuckled. “No, and you wanna know why?”

Lance nodded. 

“Because there Adam’s.”

“Takashi, what the hell!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't read and run asshat. 
> 
> Leave a comment and some kudos baby :)

**Author's Note:**

> So, as you may have noticed, I took a much-needed leave of absence after I stopped posting. For that, I have my reasons, but I do first and foremost want to apologize for leaving so unexpectantly. The truth is that I didn't find much joy in the whole writing thing anymore. I felt little motivation despite all of the ideas that were wafting in my head. I didn't notice it become a problem until I felt no motivation to do anything. I could barely find the motivation to make myself breakfast. 
> 
> From that point on I knew I needed some help. I don't really have many people in my life at the moment. My friends fell through and we don't talk much anymore. I've felt kinda helpless lately. Things are slowly getting better and I hope that by the time the summer comes to an end that everything can just go back to normal for me. 
> 
> I seriously appreciate all the support and gratitude from everyone lately. I'm making a comeback, baby!
> 
> -Champion


End file.
